Josiah Clowes

Josiah Clowes (1735–1794) was a noted English civil engineer and canal builder. His early years were spent running a canal carrying company with Hugh Henshall, and although he worked on some canal projects before 1783, that year marked his switch to being an engineer. His first major project included the Sapperton Tunnel on the Thames and Severn Canal, which despite huge engineering difficulties, gained him a reputation which enabled him to become the first great tunnelling engineer, responsible for three of the four longest canal tunnels built.

Clowes was the youngest child of a family of six, and was born in North Staffordshire in 1735. His parents are believed to be William Clowes and Maria Whitlock. He also had an older brother called William, who was involved in coal mining at Whitfield, Norton and Sneyd Green, and it was through him that he met another partner in the business called Charles Bagnall. In late 1762 he married Bagnall's sister Elizabeth, and the marriage was witnessed by another canal engineer, Hugh Henshall. Elizabeth died less than eight weeks later, and was buried on 19 February 1763 at Norton.

Construction of the Trent and Mersey Canal began in 1766, and when its engineer James Brindley died in 1772, Henshall was given the post. Clowes worked as a contractor, as he advertised for labourers in 1775 to work on the project, and was probably involved in the construction of locks and of Harecastle Tunnel. He did not immediately take up engineering, even though the Chester Canal had asked him to work for them in 1776, but instead became a partner with Henshall in a canal carrying business, running boats on the Trent and Mersey Canal. The date of his second marriage to Margaret is not known, but is thought to be around this time.

After further approaches by the Chester Canal, he agreed to help them in 1778, becoming their 'general surveyor and overseer of the works'. He was to be paid £200 per year, and was initially involved with lock reconstruction. He then travelled to Gloucestershire, to assist Thomas Dadford, who was constructing locks for the Stroudwater Navigation. He appears to have still been involved in running Henshall's carrying company, and the Chester Canal decided that he was not giving sufficient attention to their business, and so dismissed him. His main focus over the next five years seems to have been the carrying company.

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